Convertible street-car.



No. 659,220. Patented Oct. 9, I900. G. N. FILLIS.

CONVERTIBLE STREET GAR.

(Application filed Jan. 11. 1900.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

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No. 659,220. Patented Oct. 9, I900. G. N. FILLIS.

CDNVERTIBLE STREET CAR.

(Application filed. Jan. 11, 1900.)

3 Sheets-Shoat 3.

(No Model.)

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GEORGE n rrntrs,

OF CANTON, OHIO;

CONVERTIBLE STREE'FCAR.

sPEcIFIcATmN forming part of Letters Patent No. 659,220, dated October 9, 1906.

Application filed January 11, 1900- Serial No. 1,091. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that LGEORGE N. FILLIS, a citi- Zen of the United States, residing at Canton, in the county of Stark and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Convertible Street-Oars; and Ida hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the car closed. Fig. 2 shows a portion of a car, showing the same open. Fig. 3 shows a portion of the car-floor and one of the posts,also illustrating the combined track and side platform placed in position for aclosed car. Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the combined track and platform extended for use in an open car. Fig. 5 is a view showing a portion of the car and illustrating the hinged tracksections opened and in position to receive the side sections. Fig. 6 shows a portion of the top of a car,illustrating the front door opened, showing the hinged track-section open or ex tended and illustrating the position of the bracket for holding the track=section in an extended position. Fig. 7 shows a portion of the car-floor,illustrating the front door opened and showing the lower track-section opened or extended. Fig. 8 is a viewshowing a portion of the door and the hinge-bracket connected thereto. Fig. 9 is a view showing a portion of the car floor and sides, also show-- ing a number of the side sections or members used when the car is opened. Fig. 10 shows one of the front side doors partially opened and illustrating the track section turned down. Fig. 11 is a vertical section through line as as, Fig. 1. Fig. 12 is a vertical longitudinal section through one of the front side doors. Fig. 13 is a transverse section of one ofthe side sections, also showing a portion of an abutting section. Fig. 14 is a transverse section of one side of the door, also showing a portion of the upper track-section.

The present invention has relation to con-- vertible street-cars; and it consists in the different parts and combination of parts hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Similarnumerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the draw lugs.

In the accompanying drawings,1 represents the car-floor, which is supported upon a suitable frame of any desired kind or style, said frame being mounted upon trucks in the ordinary manner.

The ends of the car are provided with the platforms 2, which platforms are substantially of the form shown, or they may be of any other desired form.

To the floor or frame of the car.proper are connected'the posts or standards 3, which are arranged along the sideof the car at intervals, as illustrated, and are for the purpose of supporting the car roof and frame 4, said roof and frame being of the ordinary construction. To the outer edges of the floor are connected the hinges 5, to which hinges are connected the combined side steps and lower track or way 6, said combined steps and track or way being formed of a length to correspond substantially with the length of the car be tween the platform.

When it is desired to provide a closed car or one calculated for use during winter or storms, the combined steps and lower tracks 6 are folded, as illustrated in Fig. 3, thereby bringing the rib 7 on the top or upper sides of the combined steps or tracks 6.

To the top or upper ends of the posts 3 or their equivalents are connected the rails 8, it being understood that one rail 8 is to be l0- cated upon each side of the car, and for the purpose of providing a track or way at the top of the car proper thebottom or under sides of the rails 8 are provided with the ribs 9, said ribs being located substantially as shown in Fig. 11, and by which arrangement the ribs 7 are located directly belowthe ribs 9, thereby providing a trackor way for the bottom and top of each side section. 10. It will be understood that each side section 1O is to be provided with an ordinary Window frame or frames, such as 11, which are to move up and down in grooves in the ordinary manner. One longitudinal edge of each section 10 is to be provided with the groove or recess 12 and the opposite edge provided with the tongue or head 13, said tongue or bead being received into the recess 12, as illustrated in Fig. 13. It will be understood that when the side sections or members 10 are brought together, as illustrated in Fig. 1, closed joints will be provided between the side members 10.

In the construction of my improved car the side members or sections are formed of equal width and a sufficient number of side sections employed to fill the space between the platforms 2. In the drawings six side members or sections are shown; but it will be understood that the number may be increased or decreased, reference being had to the length of the car designed to be constructed.

The fixed ends 14 are located and arranged in the ordinary manner and are located so as to form the end members of the car.

It will be understood that an opening or passage-way is to be provided. Upon the floor of the platform 2 is located the track or way 15, which track or way is located directly below the end rail 16, said end rail being located at the upper portion of the car and is provided with the track or way 17. The tracks or ways 15 and 17 are for the purpose of holding in proper position the sliding section 18, said sliding section being formed of a size and shape to correspond substantially with the fixed end member 1a. To the sliding section 18 is hinged the side door 19, said hinged door being formed of a size to correspond with the space designed to be closed at the side of the platform 2. To the bottom or lower end of the side door 19 ishinged the track-section 20, the top or upperside of which is provided with the parallel beads or tracks 21. The track-face of the section 20 should be provided with a metal plate 22, which metal plate has upon its face the tracks 21, and said plate 22 securely connected to the hinged track-section 20. For the purpose hereinafter described the free end of the track-section 20 is beveled, as illustrated in Fig. 12. r

The door 19 is provided with the grooves or ways 23, which grooves or ways are located in front of the glass 24:. If no glass, such as 24,is not employed or used,then the grooves or ways 23 are to be located in front of an ordinary panel, the location of the grooves 23 being the same in any event. In the grooves 23 are located the ends of the sliding block 26, to which is hinged the upper track-section 28,said upper track-section being constructed substantially the same as the lower tracksection 20 and is provided with the tracks or ways 29, which correspond in number with the tracks or ways 21.

When it is desired to bring the track-sections 20 and 28 into the position illustrated in Fig. 12, the lower track-section is turned upward, as illustrated in said figure, and the upper track-section is brought down and turned against the door or frame 19, its lower beveled end 30 coming over the upper beveled end 31, as illustrated in said Fig. 12, and said track-sections held in the position illustrated by means of the thu mb-screw 32,which thumb screw is entered into the screwthreaded socket 33, formed in the inner or under face of the upper track-section 28. The position of the track-sections illustrated in Fig. 12 is that shown in Fig. 1.

When it is desired to open the track-sections, the thumbscrew 32 is detached, after which the upper track-section 28 is moved upward until the bar 25 reaches the upper ends of the grooves 23, at which time said track-section is brought into a horizontal position, as illustrated in the dotted lines, Fig. 12, and as shown in Fig. 5, and saidtracksection held in said horizontal position by means of the hinged bracket 34, said hinged bracket being securely connected .to the door 19. It will be understood that the bracket 34 is to be turned outward, so as to come under the track-section 28 after said track-section has been turned upon its hinges 35 from a vertical position to a horizontal one. After the track-sections 20 and 28 havebeen brought into the position illustrated in Fig. 5 their tracks will be in position to receive the first side member or section 10, and when the first section orside member 10 has been properly placed between the track-sections 20 and 28 the sliding section18, together with the door or frame 19, is moved inward, the sliding section 18 moving between the tracks 15 and 17, said parts being moved inward until the second set of tracks upon the track-sections 20 and 28 are brought into alinement with the tracks 7 and 9, after which the second section 10 is placed between the track-sections 20 and 28, and the third side section 10 is placed between the track sections in substantially the same manner, after which the door or frame 19, together with the side members 10, are turned so as to bring all of the side members held by the track-sections into the position illustrated in Fig. 9.

It will be understood that the sliding section 18 must be carried inward from time to time as the side members 10 are assembled, and after they have been turned with the door or frame 19 the sliding section 18 is moved outward or away from the center of the car, thus leaving the passage-way open.

For the purpose of preventing the side members 10 from becoming displaced after they have been assembled upon the platform by the movements or oscillating of the car suitable stay-rods, such as 36, are provided, and-may be'locked, as shown, or in any other manner, as the only object of the rods .is to hold the side sections in a fixed relative position.

It will be understood that when the sliding section 18 is brought into its proper position for a closed car the outside edge is interlocked with the recess 26, said position being shown in Fig. '9, and the corner-section 10 being illustrated in dotted lines, which recess is formed in the vertical edge of the sections 10, which form the ends of the sides of the car, by which arrangement said side members 10 are located in proper position when the car is closed, as illustrated in Fig. 1. For the purpose of preventing the sliding section 18 from moving inward or toward the center of the car the fixed partition or end 14 is provided with the button or bolt 27 which is for the purpose of engaging the inner edge of the sliding section 18.

After the side members 10 have been assembled so as to provide an open or summer car the combined step and track 6 is turned into the position illustrated in Fig. 4, the inner edge coming against the braces 37, by which arrangement a firm step is provided and one having a plain upper face. The position of the combined step-and-track section being illustrated in Fig. 2, when the same is to be used as a step and when it is to be used as a track section it is placed as illustrated in Fig. l, the same relative positions being shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

It will be understood that the braces 37 should be located under the car proper,.so that they are not to be extended beyond the outer face or faces of the car proper.

The ends of the side members 10 are provided with suitable grooves, such as 38, into which the tracks 7 and 9 are seated and said side members held.

In the drawings I have illustrated seats placed crosswise of the car-floor, and for the purpose of reversing the seats suitable standards 39 are securely fastened to the car-floor in any convenient and well-known manner and their upper ends provided with the back strip 40.

For the purpose of closing the platforms the roof-extension 44 is provided, which is of the ordinary construction, and the doors 45 connected in any convenient and well-known manner; but in this instance they are pivoted at their ends, so that they may be turned as illustrated in Fig. 5.

The center section 46 is located substan- 50 .tially as shown and may be of the form illustrated.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A street-car having hinged theretoa step having located upon one side thereof a track or way, a track or way located upon the upper portion of the car and side sections located between the tracks or ways, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. In a convertible car the combination of an upper track or groove located beneath the roof-section, supporting-posts, a hinged step constructed so as to be lowered and raised and-provided with a lower track or groove parallel with the upper track or groove, and sectionally-constructed sides with sashes operated between the parallel tracks or grooves and combination step, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

The combination of a cal-having hinged thereto combined steps and track-sections, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4. The combination in a convertible car of sectional members forming the sides thereof, and track-sections or turn-tables for sliding the sections thereon and housing the same, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

5. The combination of a car provided with a fixed end or ends and sliding members located parallel with the fixed end or ends and a door hinged to the sliding member, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

6. The combination of a car provided with platforms, a hinged door or frame provided at its bottom or lower end with a hinged tracksection, and its upper end or portion provided with a vertically-movable hinged tracksection and means for holding the upper track-section in an extended position, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

7. In a street car the combination of a hinged door or frame, track -sections connected thereto, parallel tracks or ways located upon the sides of the car and side members, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

8. In a convertible street-car the combination of a hinged door or frame, and the hinged door or-frame provided with means for receiving sectional sides, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

9. In a convertible car, the combination of vertical posts between the floor and roof, sectional sides operated between an upper horizontally-constructed track or groove and a lower horizontally-constructed step which can be lowered or raised and provided with a track or groove parallel with the upper track or grooves whereby said sides are operated and retained in a vertical position for an open or closed car, substantially as and for the purpose specified. 10. In a convertible car the combination of the roof, the sides constructed of detachable sections provided with window-frames and operated horizontally, a hinged step provided with a track or groove upon which the lower ends of the detachable sections rest, and means for housing the said side sections, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

11. The combination in a convertible car, the sides thereof made in sections and constructed so as to interlock when closed, a sliding frame or section oneach end constructed to interlock with and to secure the side sections when closed and permit movement of said side sections when released, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

12. In a street-car the combination of a floor having posts and seats connected thereto, sectional sliding sides, tracks or ways adapted to hold and operate said sectional sides, a hinged sliding door or frame provided with hinged track-sections, means for bolding the side sections in a nested and fixed position, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony that -I claim the above I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE N. FILLIS.

Witnesses:

J. A. JEFFERs, J. A. SIMON'DS. 

